Hi jderigo,
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the Midland, TX area (subject to making sure that any mattress you consider meets the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #2 here.
[quote]The Telluride construction is:
Quilt Layers:
Stretch Knit Ticking
1 1/2" of 1.8lb Density Convoluted EF Foam
1" EF Foam
Natural Rayon Fire Barrier
Comfort Layers:
2" of 100% Natural HeveaPUR™
1 1/4" of 1.8lb Density Convoluted EF Foam
1 Flex Net Insulator
Support System:
Coil Density: 1080* Individually Wrapped
Foam Encased Coils
16 Gauge Tempered Steel
*ALL coil counts are based on Queen Size mattress coil counts. Please ask your salesperson for details.
The waterbed insert mattress (70 x 82 x 13) is constructed:
Quilt layers:
Micro Denier Jacquard Ticking
1 1/2" of 1.8lb Density Convoluted EF Foam
1" EF Foam
Natural Rayon Fire Barrier
Comfort Layers:
2" of 1.8lb Density Convoluted EF Foam
2" of 1.8lb Density Convoluted EF Foam
1 Fiber Pad
Support System:
Coil Density: 750* Pressure Response Zoned Coils
14.5 Gauge Twice Tempered Steel
*All coil counts based on Queen size. Ask your salesperson for details.[/quote]
1.8 lb polyfoam is generally a good quality material that wouldn’t be a “weak link” in a mattress and would be suitable for most people that aren’t in higher weight ranges (see the guidelines here) but a convoluted foam will also be less durable than a non convoluted layer of the same material (see post #2 here) so in real life it would be more comparable to a slightly lower density foam.
The Telluride has 2 3/4" of the 1.8 lb convoluted polyfoam so while it would be a better quality and more durable choice than most of its mainstream competitors that use less durable materials, I would be cautious here because 1.8 lb polyfoam is the lowest density I would consider in a one sided mattress (unless there is only about “an inch or so” of lower quality materials) and with the convoluting it would be “on the edge” (and on the wrong side of the edge for your husband especially) of having a weak link in the design because the effective density of the convoluted layers would be less than 1.8 lb.
The waterbed insert has 5 1/2" of convoluted 1.8 lb polyfoam in the upper layers which would be more than I would be comfortable with.
As you probably know from your reading here … I can’t speak to whether any mattress will be “comfortable” or would be a good “match” in terms of PPP for someone else but if you can find out all the specs and information listed here about the layers and components in the Artisan mattress then I’d certainly be happy to make some comments about the quality and durability or the materials and the mattress “as a whole”. Without this information it’s not possible to make any meaningful comments about the quality or durability of the materials in a mattress.
I don’t keep a record of the individual mattresses that the retailers and manufacturers in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum carry on their floor (it would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking their websites and making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the forum list that are in reasonable driving distance is always a good idea before you visit any store anyway. This will tell you which of them carry mattresses that would meet your specific criteria, are transparent about the quality and durability of the materials in their mattresses (see this article), and that carry the type of mattresses that you are interested in testing in the budget range you are comfortable with. Once you have checked their websites and/or talked with the ones that interest you then you will be in a much better position to decide on the ones that you are most interested in visiting based on the results of your preliminary research and conversations.
If your research indicates that there is nothing local to you that you are interested in purchasing and you decide to broaden your search and do some travelling then some of the other forum lists that may be of interest are the Lubbock/Amarillo list in post #2 here, the Abilene list in post #7 here, the Dallas/Ft Worth list in post #4 here, and the Austin/San Antonio list in post #2 here.
Phoenix